Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos on Tuesday met with visiting
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, and both sides hailed the
good relations between the two countries and expressed their shared
will to strengthen cooperation in international affairs.
Economic cooperation between China and Greece
has great potential and China is willing to further boost
cooperation with Greece, Li said during the meeting with
Stephanopoulos at the presidential palace in Athens.
China attaches great importance to its friendly relations with
Greece and hopes to further promote and deepen the existing good
ties between the two sides, Li said.
Li
arrived here on Monday for a meeting with the EU "Troika" foreign
ministers.
Stephanopoulos expressed his admiration for the Chinese people for
their achievements in the fight against severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS).
Stephanopoulos said the cooperation between the two countries in
hosting the Olympics will promote the comprehensive development of
Greek-Chinese relations.
Greece would like to see China continue to play an important role
in international affairs, Stephanopoulos added.
Talks in Europe Strengthen Ties
Ties with the European Union (EU) are an important part of China's
foreign relations, and the promotion of the relationship would
benefit both sides as well as the whole world, said visiting
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in Athens on Monday.
The minister made the remarks in a meeting with EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana and his Greek counterpart, George Papandreou,
who hands over the EU's rotating presidency to Italy Tuesday.
Li
said the China-EU partnership based on equality, mutual benefit and
mutual respect is maturing day by day, and that both sides attach
strategic importance to the relationship.
Consensus reached between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Greek
Prime Minister Constantine Simitis in Russia's St. Petersburg is of
great significance to the promotion of the relationship, Li
said.
He
suggested that efforts should be made to make the upcoming China-EU
summit a success and that the momentum of dialogue at various
levels between the two sides should be maintained. He also asked to
expand cooperation in economics and trade, agriculture,
environment, energy, information, and cooperation in infrastructure
construction in China's west.
The Chinese foreign minister also asked for efforts to properly
handle problems and disputes between the two sides and urged the EU
to recognize China's status as a complete market economy and lift
its ban on China's animal products as soon as possible.
He
thanked the EU for its constructive attitude toward the Taiwan
issue and its understanding and support for China's efforts to
fight SARS.
The EU side expressed its satisfaction with the development of the
relationship, and agreed to Li's proposals on the development of
EU-China relations.
The EU leaders also appreciated China's active and constructive
role in maintaining international and regional peace and stability,
keeping good political and economic relations with its neighbors
and China's efforts in international arms control and
disarmament.
The EU side spoke highly of the dialogue with China on human rights
and expressed its willingness to continue its cooperation with
China in this field.
The EU leaders said the EU would stick to its "one China" policy
and oppose to Taiwan's entry into any international organizations
that require statehood.
As
for China's status as a complete market economy, the EU said it
would carefully consider China's concern.
The two sides also exchanged views on nuclear issue on the Korean
Peninsula, weapons proliferation, the Middle East and the fight
against terrorism.
The EU appreciated China's role in the Korean Peninsula's nuclear
issue and said it favors a peaceful settlement of the issue through
dialogue.
Li
held talks with Papandreou separately prior to this meeting.
Li
arrived here Sunday at the invitation of Papandreou for talks with
Greek and EU leaders.
(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2003)